Did you ever get the feeling that you’re a character in a movie? Not like that movie “The Truman Show” but that sometimes you just feel like a character in a story that someone else has written and directed. It’s not a bad thing really. Who wouldn’t want to be the star of a Stephen Spielberg masterpiece? Being Indiana Jones isn’t so bad is it? Although… maybe being the lead in “Saving Private Ryan” isn’t the best role to live out.
If your life were a movie, who is your director? It’s an interesting question I think, so I thought I’d propose it for readers here. Think about your life as a film… who has been the director? Whose style and influence seems to be similar to the guidelines your life has been shaped by?
Firstly, in this scenario, god is not an acceptable answer. God is not a director, he is a film critic. Maybe your director’s sole (soul heh) goal is appeal to the film critics, but god’s not a director.
Secondly, I’ll help get you started by telling you who I think is directing the movie of my life. The Life of Monty… a Terry Gilliam film.
I think my life story is equal parts funny, tragic, bizarre, insane, fantasy, fear, romance, and indescribable. What better director to have than Terry Gilliam?
Mr. G has directed such gems as Monty Python’s Holy Grail (co-directed with Terry Jones), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 12 Monkeys, The Fisher King, Brazil, Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Brothers Grimm. He’s an anti-establishment director that would rather tell a story with real characters and real consequences and not something with Hollywood polish where everyone lives happily ever after. He’s a bit manic, a bit passionate, and all artist.
I look at moments of my life that echo Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I see the Fisher King too. I said at one point in my life that there was no character in film that identified personally with more than Sam Lowery in Brazil. I like to think of myself as fun and entertaining, but have a deeper, darker side that often remains unexplored. Such attributes are key to a Gilliam protagonist.
So who is directing your life story? Is Quentin Tarentino setting you up to be the next stylish thug in a dark suit? Is Spielberg sending you on a fishing trip? Did Peter Jackson make your height challenged self feel big again? Did John Hughes define your life in ways only pegged pants and big hair could?
Tell us. Who and why?
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Grrrr! You stole my director from the start! I was pegging Terry Gilliam for myself but then you had to go and lay claims to him. Fine. Well then it seems I’m only left with maybe three possible and reasonable choices.
First would have to be Kevin Smith. He’s the only one that seems to roll wit, comedic timeliness and nerdiness into one. His characters tend to be a bit extreme but as a former caricature artist, I can accept the exaggeration!
Runner up would have to be John Carpenter. While his films are not really “quality,” neither is my life. His characters are fun and I have a great respect for Big Trouble in Little China. That is a masterpiece of B movies! Plus, I carry the same last name and hope that if I find myself in Hollywood, someone will toss me a bone to see if I can’t do better just because of my namesake. I’m betting on hells yeah!
Last selection would have to be JJ Abrams. Dude tells an awesome story! His focus on character development is second to none and while his plots may prove confusing, they ultimately resolve in great dramatic fashion! So, if I had to lead a more serious life, I’d pick him to tell my story… in the most twisted, backward, time-jumping way possible.
At first I didn’t feel I was familiar with enough movie directors to know how to answer this question, but I sure found it interesting to read the musings of you two. I’m a big Kevin Smith fan too, though more from afar — I don’t know that we’d find much common ground directing the movie of my life.
(Ha.)
Though I suspect the relative dearth of movie-watching in my past precludes me from having a very thorough answer, a movie I felt pretty personally close to was League of Their Own. That was directed by Penny Marshall, so I might name her as my answer.
Also, lol @ “While his films are not really ‘quality,’ neither is my life.” Hahaha!!